Lifting Burdens: He Can Heal Us

Without the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ nothing would be possible. We would never be able to overcome our weaknesses and live with our Father in Heaven again. But He did atone for our sins, and this video shares the message of what that means for us. 

 In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Alma prophesies of Jesus Christ with these words. "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12)

  Our Savior suffered all things according to the flesh so that He would know exactly how we feel. No matter what situation we are in, what burdens we have to carry, He will lift us up and give us the strength we need to go on, if we will but ask. As part of life's journey we are to learn and grow and gain as much experience as we can. But it is so comforting to know that we have a Best Friend who is always beside us to give that ever needed support. 

Although we don't completely understand how the atonement works, we do know that it works and that we can all experience it's transforming power in our own lives. The atonement isn't just about overcoming sin, it's about becoming who our Heavenly Father knows we can become. As we allow His spirit to enter our lives and to cleanse and purify us from sin, we are changed from the inside out. Our nature changes, our habits change, our desires change, and we become more in tune with our Heavenly Father's will. "...for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23) As long as we try our very best and give our all, our Savior will make up for the rest and we will enjoy eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Inviting All To Come Unto Christ

As a missionary I'm asked frequently why I decided to leave home for two years to become a missionary. This video is a perfect answer and explanation for my decision, watch it!

This story reminds me a lot of the Tree of Life vision that Lehi has in (1 Nephi chapter 8). As Lehi goes forth and partakes of the fruit he says "And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." (1 Nephi 8:12) This fruit that Lehi partakes of is symbolic of the gospel of Jesus Christ or the Atonement, which was the fruit, or action, of our Savior. Once Lehi is filled with the joy that was found in the fruit, he instantly wants to share it with the rest of his family! He knew that he had the most precious fruit so why would he not want to share that with those that he loves? 

This is the same reason that we as missionaries choose to set aside our lives to share the gospel with all the world. After experiencing the joy and happiness that comes from exercising the power of the atonement and after being filled with comfort from the sweet promises and knowledge that His restored gospel brings, I would be tremendously selfish if I did not do everything in my power to spread that knowledge. That's why I'm here, to testify that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith was His prophet who was called to restore the fulness of our Savior's gospel to the earth once more. To invite others to partake of this fruit and come unto Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

What is Motherhood? It is an eternal partnership with God. Mother's have the special responsibility of nurturing their children in the home, watch this video to see how great moms are!!

I am so grateful for my mom and for all that she taught me as I was growing up and for all that she continues to teach me now. A great example of the influence mothers have on their children is when Helaman says this about the stripling warriors to Moroni. "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." (Alma 56:47-48) The wisdom of these mothers shaped these young men into who they were and in a similar way everything I am or everything I hope to become will be tremendously influenced by my loving mother. Thank you mothers for all you do and don't forget that God is always with you in your divine partnership. I love you mom!! Happy Mother's Day!

God Still Speaks To Us Today

 Are the Heavens closed? Or does God continue to speak to us today just as he did in Bible times? This talk by a living apostle of Jesus Christ tells us the answer.

One of the most glorious blessings that comes from the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the knowledge that the Heavens are still open and that our loving Father in Heaven still speaks to us today. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and testifies, as does the bible, that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. Knowing that our Father in Heaven can speak to us allows us to always have an outlet, a source to go to when we've hit the wall and want to give up. I testify that He does answer our prayers and that we can have a personal relationship with Him. He knows us perfectly and can give us specific answers for our specific problems and trials. 

This personal relationship means that we can go to Him with anything and everything. Concerns as small as a lost pencil or matters as large as where to live are all important to our perfect Heavenly Father. He wants to help us, He loves to help us, and He loves to hear from us.

I am so grateful for the relationship that I have developed with my Father in Heaven. And I am even more grateful in knowing that anyone can have that bond with Him as well. Through actions like daily prayer, daily scripture study, and attending church each week, we can feel the spirit more abundantly in our lives and can begin building that unity with our Eternal Father. Seek Him out and find out for yourself if He does still love and speak to us today. I know that He does and that He is always there for us if we will reach out and accept His help. But most importantly, I know that He cares.

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays because of the excitement of our much anticipated easter egg hunts. I have carried that tradition on while serving my mission out here in New York, but it took on a slightly different meaning to me out here. While searching for the eggs that were hidden in our apartment I was reminded of an article I once read in the January issue of the Ensign called "I will be found of you." A link to this article is right here. "I will be found of you"

 

After playing this game of hide and seek many times I've noticed that it is often the most obvious eggs that can be the hardest. After pondering that interesting fact, I couldn't help but think of how many times in our lives we tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. Although our Father in Heaven is always there for us, we do need to seek out and find Him. This task is simple when we sit back and realize that we all know where to find Him. We know He is always found through prayer, He is always found when reading the Book of Mormon or the Bible, and He is found at church every week where we can go to worship Him. Satan will do all that he can to disguise and camouflage these places so that we won't think to look there. But I testify that our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ are always waiting to be found. They are always found in the same places and will readily bless us and reward us for our diligent seeking.

Because of our Savior's performance of the atonement and overcoming death with the resurrection we all have something incredible to celebrate this Easter season. Jesus Christ lives and loves each and every one of us and can't wait for us to reach out and find Him.

This Is The Way, Walk Ye In It

In today's world there are voices screaming at us from all directions. It can be extremely difficult to find the strength inside of ourselves to tune out the lies and deceptions and to hone in on the voice that brings us guidance and peace. This video is a great representation of the way we can find that oasis in our own lives.

What I love most about the voice of the Spirit, is that it is a broadcast that is never down due to reasons outside of our own actions. Our Father in Heaven loves us and will always be sending us guidance and assistance as long as we are willing to do what He asks of us. Sometimes that means doing things that may be unpopular or looked down upon by those around us. It reminds me of all the times my teammates on various soccer teams growing up would think I was so weird or crazy because I wouldn't drink or smoke with them before games. To them it seemed odd, but to me it was simply a necessary requirement to stay receptive to that voice that would guide and direct me not only in my everyday life, but also helped me to be the best soccer player I could be. This ever present communication from our Father in Heaven guides us through the obstacles that we encounter here on earth and will bring us back to live with Him. Just like a muscle, we must exercise and practice and train ourselves to be receptive to this still, small voice that comes as feelings "in your mind and in your heart." (D&C 8:2) Once we have accustomed ourselves to this gift, no obstacle or trial will slow us down as we rely on our Savior to guide us through it all.